The Charge

Opening Statement

In this third volume, Death Note not only maintains the high standards
of its earlier installments, but also establishes itself as one of the finest
anime ever.

Facts of the Case

When a death note, belonging to a shinigami death god, falls into the hands
of student Light Yagami, the young man finds himself in possession of a great
power. Able to kill anyone just by writing their name into the book whilst
picturing their face, Light sets out to rid the world of evil; however, the
power begins to corrupt him and Light's morals are called into question.

When Detective L is brought in to capture the killer (known to the public as
Kira), he finds himself at something of an impasse, after all, how do you catch
a killer who apparently doesn't require contact with his victim?

Containing episodes 9 through 12, Death Note: Volume 3 breaks down
like so:

• "Episode 9: Encounter": As the murders continue, L
grows suspicious of Light's too-perfect behavior and decides to investigate him
on his own. In order to get closer to Light, L enrolls at the same university
and reveals himself to be L.

• "Episode 10: Doubt": L's suspicion of Light deepens,
compelling him to invite Light into the investigation. But then a phone call
alerts them that Soichiro Yagami has suffered a heart attack!

• "Episode 11: Assault": As predicted on the tapes sent
to Sakura TV, news anchors and commentators who expressed doubt about Kira die
one by one. On further investigation, L concludes that this Kira is not the
original…there's a second Kira!

• "Episode 12: Love": With a second Kira now on the
loose, L asks Light to join the task force and pose as the real Kira in order to
catch the copycat. Light agrees, hoping to divert suspicion from himself. To his
surprise, this new Kira has a special ability even Light lacks…

The Evidence

In my recent review of Tokyo Majin:
Volume 1, I bemoaned the current state of anime, arguing too many titles
were rehashing the same ideas over and over. I then went on to name a couple of
more recent releases that have stood out from the crowd and been worth checking
out, well we can add one more to the list, because Death Note: Volume 3
is pure class.

Having dealt with the FBI agents who had been brought in to work on the Kira
case in the previous volume, Light begins Volume 3 with the upper hand
over L, the detective who is driving the efforts to capture him. Forced to think
outside the box, L reveals himself to Light and so begin the mind games that
really drive this third volume.

Really, that is what Death Note is all about: the mind games played
out between a killer and the detective out to catch him. The genius of Death
Note is how the villain, Light, is the focus of the story. Light's initially
well-meaning, though misguided, intentions to create a utopia by killing the
"unworthy" are slowly twisting his outlook, and desperation has
already forced his hand, resulting in his killing of those who would expose or
capture him. It is to the show's credit that we want to see L capture Light,
despite L playing second fiddle to Light in terms of the show's attention.

While the first two episodes are very much focused on Light's and L's
relationship, episode eleven's revelation of a second Kira is a glorious twist
that, for me at least, took the show from being very good to downright
brilliant. First of all, this allows L to bring Light officially onboard the
task force assigned with the Kira case. Having Light around is a clever move;
now able to monitor Light almost constantly allows L to further investigate him
with subtle questioning. At the same time, by revealing himself, along with his
real name, he knows that Light dare not kill him, as he would instantly be
exposed as the Kira. More importantly, in terms of ramping up the excitement and
tension, is when the second Kira reveals abilities beyond those of Light,
resulting in a surprisingly effective sequence where the new Kira demonstrates
their powers on live TV.

All this results in Death Note: Volume 3 not only moving the plot
forward, but also adding exciting new elements that mean Volume 4 cannot come
soon enough. What we have here, people, is a show that is smartly written and
full of originality with two intriguing central characters. It's exciting,
unpredictable, and capable of being chilling one minute then surprisingly
beautiful the next (check out the death god sacrifice). Fans of anime are no
doubt already aware of the show's brilliance, but even for non-fans, I can fully
recommend Death Note.

Sticking to the style of the original manga Death Note, with its mix
of human and shinigami, is a treat to look at, with a clean, colorful 1.78:1
transfer.

A number of anime titles I've picked up recently have been completely devoid
of extras, thankfully Viz Media have put together a decent package here. Along
with a commentary for the eleventh episode, you'll find a series of artist
renderings of the characters and best of all, a short but interesting, feature
on the actors who provide the English dub. The limited-edition version also
comes with a figurine of L.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

Erm, the only negative I can find is that there's a two-month wait till
Volume 4 is released.

Closing Statement

Smartly written, exciting and able to keep the viewer hooked with minimal
action, Death Note: Volume 3, is one of the strongest anime titles
currently available.

The Verdict

Like I'm going to find this guilty. Death Note: Volume 3 is free to
go. Roll on Volume 4!